More men than women die each year in motor vehicle crashes. Men typically drive more miles than women and more often engage in risky driving practices including not using seat belts, driving while impaired by alcohol, and speeding. Crashes involving male drivers often are more severe than those involving female drivers. Li, G.; Baker, S.P.; Langlois, J.A.; and Kelen, G.D. 1998. Are female drivers safer? An application of the decomposition method. Epidemiology 9:379-84. However, when crashes of equal severity are examined by gender, females are more likely than males to be killed or injured. Bedard, M.; Guyatt, G.H.; Stones, J.J.; and Hirdes, J.P. 2002. The independent contribution of driver, crash, and vehicle characteristics to driver fatalities. Accident Analysis and Prevention 34:717-27.Evans, L. 2001. Age and fatality risk from similar severity impacts. Journal of Traffic Medicine 29:10-19.Evans, L. 2001. Female compared with male fatality risk from similar physical impacts. Journal of Trauma 50:281-88.Evans, L. and Gerrish, P.H. 2001. Gender and age influence on fatality risk from the same physical impact determined using two-car crashes (SAE 011174). Vehicle Aggressivity and Compatibility in Automotive Crashes (SP-1601). Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers.

Since 1975 deaths among female passenger vehicle drivers have increased while male passenger vehicle driver deaths have changed little. The increase in female driver deaths can be explained by an increase in exposure. More women are licensed now than in the past. They drive more miles and are more likely to drive at night. The rate of fatal crashes per 100 million miles of travel for male and female drivers decreased similarly between 1977 and 2001 — a 48 percent decrease for female drivers and a 45 percent decrease for male drivers. Ferguson, S.A. and Braitman, K.A. 2006. Women's issues in highway safety: a summary of the literature. Research on Women's Issues in Transportation: Report of a Conference. Conference Proceedings 35; Volume 1: Conference Overview and Plenary Papers, 39-50. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board.

Data subsections:

Trends

From 1975 to 2005 male motor vehicle crash deaths declined 8 percent while female deaths increased 11 percent. Male deaths decreased fairly steadily from 1975 to 1992 and have risen slowly since 1992. Female deaths rose from 1975 until 1997 and remained steady through 2005. The increase in female motor vehicle crash deaths was largely due to a 75 percent increase in deaths of female passenger vehicle drivers since 1975. Deaths of male passenger vehicle drivers changed little during the same time period. Deaths have gone down among both male and female passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Since 1997 motorcyclist deaths more than doubled for both males and females.

Number and percent of motor vehicle crash deaths by type and gender, 2005

Gender

Passenger vehicle driver deaths

Passenger vehicle passenger deaths

Pedestrian deaths

Bicyclist deaths

Motorcyclist deaths

Total motor vehicle deaths*

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Male

15,517

71

4,909

52

3,432

70

683

87

4,004

90

30,224

70

Female

6,360

29

4,457

48

1,437

29

97

12

435

10

13,089

30

Total*

21,880

100

9,369

100

4,881

100

782

100

4,439

100

43,443

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

From 1975 to 2005 the rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people decreased 9 percent among females and decreased 32 percent among males. During the same time period occupant death rates ranged from about 2 to 2 1/2 times higher for males than females.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people by gender, 1975-2005

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people by gender, 1975-2005

Year

Male

Female

Total*

Population

Num

Rate

Population

Num

Rate

Population

Num

Rate

1975

105,365,965

21,841

20.7

110,607,234

8,755

7.9

215,973,199

30,601

14.2

1976

106,308,604

22,300

21.0

111,726,560

9,420

8.4

218,035,164

31,724

14.5

1977

107,334,548

22,806

21.2

112,904,877

10,015

8.9

220,239,425

32,823

14.9

1978

108,423,580

24,443

22.5

114,160,965

10,477

9.2

222,584,545

34,923

15.7

1979

109,583,961

24,772

22.6

115,471,526

10,252

8.9

225,055,487

35,026

15.6

1980

110,398,754

24,649

22.3

116,825,965

10,341

8.9

227,224,719

34,995

15.4

1981

111,502,912

23,667

21.2

117,962,696

10,038

8.5

229,465,608

33,711

14.7

1982

112,579,479

20,494

18.2

119,085,017

9,158

7.7

231,664,496

29,654

12.8

1983

113,646,987

19,719

17.4

120,144,916

9,430

7.8

233,791,903

29,153

12.5

1984

114,670,252

20,102

17.5

121,154,531

9,989

8.2

235,824,783

30,091

12.8

1985

115,729,577

19,825

17.1

122,194,155

10,016

8.2

237,923,732

29,847

12.5

1986

116,865,225

21,677

18.5

123,267,616

10,514

8.5

240,132,841

32,224

13.4

1987

117,960,907

21,986

18.6

124,328,116

11,148

9.0

242,289,023

33,145

13.7

1988

119,085,496

22,633

19.0

125,413,340

11,459

9.1

244,498,836

34,105

13.9

1989

120,277,490

21,897

18.2

126,541,629

11,693

9.2

246,819,119

33,599

13.6

1990

121,626,118

21,564

17.7

127,838,278

11,132

8.7

249,464,396

32,711

13.1

1991

122,956,043

20,151

16.4

129,197,049

10,651

8.2

252,153,092

30,810

12.2

1992

124,423,544

19,077

15.3

130,606,155

10,350

7.9

255,029,699

29,457

11.6

1993

125,787,805

19,360

15.4

131,994,803

10,622

8.0

257,782,608

29,994

11.6

1994

127,049,175

19,728

15.5

133,277,846

11,076

8.3

260,327,021

30,816

11.8

1995

128,293,712

20,442

15.9

134,509,564

11,452

8.5

262,803,276

31,913

12.1

1996

129,504,353

20,491

15.8

135,724,219

11,852

8.7

265,228,572

32,354

12.2

1997

130,783,107

20,308

15.5

137,000,500

12,006

8.8

267,783,607

32,331

12.1

1998

132,029,729

20,057

15.2

138,218,274

11,714

8.5

270,248,003

31,779

11.8

1999

133,276,559

20,347

15.3

139,414,254

11,654

8.4

272,690,813

32,008

11.7

2000

138,468,999

20,759

15.0

143,723,163

11,346

7.9

282,192,162

32,109

11.4

2001

140,012,615

20,747

14.8

145,089,460

11,187

7.7

285,102,075

31,938

11.2

2002

141,518,989

21,326

15.1

146,422,231

11,389

7.8

287,941,220

32,724

11.4

2003

143,024,340

20,810

14.5

147,764,636

11,354

7.7

290,788,976

32,166

11.1

2004

144,537,408

20,534

14.2

149,117,996

11,215

7.5

293,655,404

31,750

10.8

2005

145,999,746

20,476

14.0

150,410,658

10,840

7.2

296,410,404

31,322

10.6

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

The number of driver fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled in 2001-02 was about 50 percent higher for males (2.5 per 100 million) than females (1.7 per 100 million). At all ages, except ages 60-69, rates were higher for males than females, but the gender difference was largest among driver ages 16-19.

Fatal passenger vehicle crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled by driver age and gender, April 2001–March 2002

Age

Male

Female

Total*

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

16-19

4,257

46,427,394,010

9.2

1,852

35,264,476,105

5.3

6,109

81,691,870,114

7.5

20-29

8,949

225,999,581,860

4.0

3,172

156,283,683,955

2.0

12,122

382,283,265,815

3.2

30-59

15,027

845,507,965,689

1.8

6,946

551,350,306,430

1.3

21,973

1,396,858,272,119

1.6

60-69

2,097

128,814,817,845

1.6

1,008

64,778,212,790

1.6

3,105

193,593,030,635

1.6

≥ 70

3,148

76,991,652,560

4.1

1,571

39,093,332,009

4.0

4,719

116,084,984,569

4.1

Total*

33,733

1,324,373,970,682

2.5

14,633

847,734,931,097

1.7

48,638

2,172,108,901,779

2.2

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Age differences

In 2005 the rates of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people were higher among males than females for every age group except 0-15 years. The gender difference in fatality rates was greatest for occupants ages 20-24 and those 85 and older. Males ages 20-24 had the highest fatality rate, and fatality rates were lowest for males and females younger than 16.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people by age and gender, 2005

Age

Male

Female

Total*

Population

Num

Rate

Population

Num

Rate

Population

Num

Rate

0-15

33,305,469

833

2.5

31,781,247

780

2.5

65,086,716

1,615

2.5

16-19

8,541,332

2,541

29.7

8,111,201

1,348

16.6

16,652,533

3,889

23.4

20-24

10,856,936

3,442

31.7

10,180,924

1,213

11.9

21,037,860

4,655

22.1

25-29

10,268,169

2,104

20.5

9,797,533

761

7.8

20,065,702

2,865

14.3

30-34

10,153,091

1,561

15.4

9,924,119

672

6.8

20,077,210

2,233

11.1

35-39

10,563,375

1,405

13.3

10,438,579

687

6.6

21,001,954

2,092

10.0

40-44

11,376,664

1,424

12.5

11,483,846

730

6.4

22,860,510

2,154

9.4

45-49

11,106,575

1,355

12.2

11,377,948

721

6.3

22,484,523

2,076

9.2

50-54

9,788,780

1,168

11.9

10,208,962

618

6.1

19,997,742

1,786

8.9

55-59

8,425,070

947

11.2

8,928,608

568

6.4

17,353,678

1,515

8.7

60-64

6,201,648

780

12.6

6,800,215

509

7.5

13,001,863

1,289

9.9

65-69

4,721,791

617

13.1

5,409,653

456

8.4

10,131,444

1,073

10.6

70-74

3,807,605

609

16.0

4,700,764

440

9.4

8,508,369

1,049

12.3

75-79

3,117,774

610

19.6

4,294,039

495

11.5

7,411,813

1,106

14.9

80-84

2,161,671

543

25.1

3,480,878

435

12.5

5,642,549

978

17.3

≥ 85

1,603,796

487

30.4

3,492,142

386

11.1

5,095,938

873

17.1

Total

145,999,746

20,476

14.0

150,410,658

10,840

7.2

296,410,404

31,322

10.6

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Alcohol involvement

From 1982 to 2005 the proportion of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent declined by 33 percent among males and 41 percent among females. Since 1985 the percentage of fatally injured male drivers with high BACs has been about twice that of female drivers.